USC to NFL: How Tre Madden fits with the Seahawks

USC running back Tre Madden signed with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent but faces an uphill climb to make the roster.

Tre Madden’s greatest obstacle to seeing the field at USC was staying healthy. In the NFL, staying healthy will be just the first hurdle to clear before he can settle into a pro career.

The Seahawks must fill the hole vacated by Marshawn Lynch, who announced his retirement during the Super Bowl. Unfortunately for Madden, there are a lot of candidates taking a run at that role and others.

With only so many spots available, Madden’s prospects are murky in Seattle…

2016 Seahawks Running Backs

• Christine Michael | 5th year
• Thomas Rawls | 2nd year
• Cameron Marshall | 2nd year*
• Zac Brooks | Rookie
• Alex Collins | Rookie
• C.J. Prosise | Rookie
• David Dudeck | UDFA
• Tre Madden | UDFA

Lynch’s injury troubles gave the Seahawks a taste of life without him in 2015 and Thomas Rawls stepped up to the plate, leading the team with 830 yards on the season.

When Rawls suffered a broken ankle, Christine Michael took his place. Now the two are expected to share time in a two-man backfield.

Seattle is also replacing Fred Davis, who hasn’t been re-signed after a one-year contract in 2015, specifically his ability as a pass-catching option from running back.

Enter third round draft pick, C.J. Prosise, who was a converted wide receiver at Notre Dame and is expected to take on that responsibility as a third-down back.

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The Seahawks also picked up two more running backs in the 2016 NFL Draft. In the fifth round they grabbed Alex Collins of Arkansas and in the seventh they picked up Zac Brooks of Clemson, another former receiver.

That means Madden enters a transitioning, but crowded running back situation in Seattle. He’ll be challenging three drafted players for a roster spot alongside fellow undrafted free agent David Dudeck and Arizona State alum Cameron Marshall, who played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the CFL before being signed this spring.

At his best and healthiest, Madden had the ability to challenge for a spot among those players, but he’ll need to prove that he can perform at the level he did in 2013.

There’s some other intrigue when it comes to Madden’s race for the roster though. Seattle GM Jon Schneider indicated that Madden could be given a shot at fullback.

Madden wouldn’t make for a conventional fullback, but Pete Carroll no doubt remembers the creative use of fullback Stanley Havili at USC.

If the Seahawks want their fullback involved in the passing game, Madden would be exceptional in that role. He had 32 receptions for 334 yards and five touchdowns in his Trojan career.

View from Seattle…

"Tre Madden signing with Seattle after the draft was a bit of a surprise. I’m sure he had other interested teams, and by coming to Seattle he faces long odds to make the roster. The Seahawks already had two backs they like, and then drafted three(!) this year. That is a lot of talented competition for limited roster spots. One thing that will work in Madden’s favor is that the Seahawks will give him a shot at FB. He’s a bit small for that role at 223 pounds (Seahawks primarily used 285-pound Will Tukuafu at FB last season, and have a plan to try a 290-pound DT and a 298-pound OG at FB this year), but his athleticism, speed, and vision will give Madden a shot. Overall, it seems unlikely that Tre Madden will make the roster out of training camp, but there’s still a very good chance that he’ll land on Seattle’s practice squad this season."

— Keith Meyers, 12th Man Rising (@12thMan_Rising)